Pickering informs Morgan that his services in Georgia overseeing procurement of timber are indispensable; therefore Josiah Fox is assigned as temporary assistant naval constructor at Norfolk. Also informs of plan to suspend frigate construction at four ports and throw the full quantity of timber at Baltimore and Philadelphia yards. Norfolk will be the last ship yard to resume operations, so that...

(Enclosed in letter from War Office to Josiah Fox noting Humphrey's opinion on laying the keel for the frigate.)
Fox believed no time should be wasted in determining best launching site which would be used for laying keels of frigates. Additional description of launching and building protocol.

Recommendation for Josiah Fox, mentioned his work with Mr. Humphreys building frigates for the Navy Department. Fox will replace Mr. Morgan as Assistant Constructor in the construction of the frigate to be built in Norfolk.

Henry Knox requests that Otho Williams assist contractors in sending supplies to General Josiah Harmar's army in the Northwest Territory. Harmar writes that he is having to pay out of his own purse for meat, and that some other means will have to be found for supply, if force is employed against the savages.

Lt.Colonel Josiah Harmar encloses returns of Pennsylvania troops and reports to Pennsylvania President John Dickenson informing him of the likelihood that, upon abandoning the garrison, Fort McIntosh will be demolished by "Emigrators" to Kentucky.

Letter, advises Knox re command state quota of troops. Lieutenant Colonel Josiah Harmar and other officers therein named are continued in the command of the state's quota of troops to be raised for the defence of the western frontiers

Josiah Harmar thanks Knox for his letter, and expresses distress that the president believes that "the bottle" incapacitates him. He defended his conduct and expressed firm belief that he acted as a soldier should.

The Secretary of War, Henry Knox, reiterates to Brigadier General Josiah Harmar previously sent instructions for calling up the militia to defend the frontier against Indian hostilities and states that Harry Innes, Esq, District Judge of Kentucky, is also vested with this power.

Encloses a letter from the War Office (likely Josiah Fox) to David Stodder. Letter is dated 6 October 1797. The subject matter is the unsatisfactory pace of Stodder's work in completing the frigate Constellation.